Canopy frame for beach or lawn chairs



Nov. 24, 1936. H. s. TOR NQUIST 1 2,062,240

CANOPY FRAME FOR BEACH OR LAWN CHAIRS Filed Feb. 20, 1936 Patented Nov. 24, 1936 weane- PATENT OFFICE CANOPY FRAME FOR BEACH OR LAWN CHAIRS Harold S. Tornquist, Winchendon, Mass., assignor Mason and Parker Manufacturing 00.,

Winchendon, Mass., an association of Massachusetts Application February 20, 1936, Serial No. 64,960 3 Claims. (01. -71) This invention is directed to a canopy frame for beach or lawn chairs, designed for convenient application to and removal from the chair, and capable of adjustment relative to the chair to insure the desired canopy function at any desired time.

Beach and lawn chairs with which the particular invention is more directly concerned are designed for more or less compact folding for transportation or storage and are generally made relatively light for convenient handling, and therefore a frame for a canopy for such chairs should be capable of convenient folding into small compact compass and made relatively light to avoid necessity for heavy supports or connections.

The primary object of the present invention is the provision of a canopy frame for chairs of the defined type, made up of few, relatively light parts, so interconnected as to permit compact folding in a manner to insure ready and convenient extension into canopy-forming relation when desired.

A further object is the provision of a canopy frame in which the parts are so arranged and formed that they may be permanently connected, and without disconnection when being arranged for use or for folding into small compass, thus avoiding the necessity of making connections or disconnections in the use of the frame, and permitting simple and expeditious handling of the frame under all conditions.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a broken perspective showing the frame in place, the canopy being shown in dotted outline.

Figure 2 is a plan of the frame in operative position.

Figure 3 is a similar view showing the parts reversed for folding.

Figure 4 is a plan of the frame folded.

Figure 5 is a section on line 55 of Figure 4.

The improved canopy frame comprises side bars I and 2 of appropriate length, and preferably, but not necessarily of wood. These side bars are connected at an appropriate distance from their outer or free ends by a cross bar 3, the connection being made through the use of rivets or like permanent connections A. are made to maintain the permanence of the connection and yet permit relative swinging movement of the bars when necessary.

The length of the cross bar 3 is such that when the frame is extended and the side bars I and 2 in parallel relation the ends of the cross bar are flush with the outer sides of the side bars in These connections order to avoid obstruction of the canopy proper when applied. I

. The side bars andcross bar are preferably made of the same stock, which is of rectangular shape, with different transverse dimensions, and for the purposes of compact folding, as will later appear, the side bars are arranged with their narrowest dimension uppermost, while the cross bar is applied with its wider face in contact with the narrower face of the side bars. Thus as arranged the upper face of the cross bar is of its maximum transverse dimension, while the upper faces of the side bars are of the materially narrower dimension.

Frame-supporting means are applied to each side bar at the end remote from the cross bar,

such means involving two metal straps 5 and 6, pivotally connected at one end in spaced relation to the outer surface of the side bar. The free ends of the straps are formed with openings 1, designed to be aligned for each pair of straps when being applied, to thus form in effect a single opening for application to the chair connecting means. The straps thus form a V-shaped connection between the frame and chair, tending to rigidity of support, while when disconnected from the chair, the straps may be separated at their free ends and independently moved into alignment on the surface of the side bar.

The frame when extended is applied to bolts 8 of the uprights 9 of the chair, the straps having been previously arranged in their V-formation with aligned openings to engage the bolts 8. Thumb nuts IE3, or like connectors complete the securing and rigid holding of the frame, it being obvious from the described connection that the frame, and canopy carried thereby, can be adjusted at any angle convenient to the user of the chair simply by loosening the thumb nuts and swinging the frame as desired.

The canopy proper, indicated at H, is of appropriate material made in a form to fit over the frame and engage the ends of the side bars to frictionally but removably hold the canopy in place. Any ornamental edge or other configuration is contemplated, and of course any material serving the desired function may be used.

In folding the frame one of the side bars is cross bar overlies both side bars, being diagonally overlying each side bar intermediate the connections. As the cross bar is wider than the side bars this manner of folding provides a compact arrangement in which each bar cooperates with the other, and the transverse dimension is of no greater width than the combined width of the 7 two side bars. Thus the smallest and most compact package is presented for transportation and storage, permitting the frame to be packed in with the folded chair without requiring additional space. i

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is:

1. A foldable canopy frame for :beach and lawn chairs, comprising side bars, a cross bar swingingly and permanently connected to the side 'bars adjacent to but spaced from one end, and con necting straps on each side :bar adjacent the opposite end. 7

2. A foldable canopy frame for chairs, comprising side bars and a cross bar permanently and movably connected to the side bars adjacent one end of the latter, the connections permitting the side bars to be arranged in parallel relation with the cross bar at substantially right angles thereto for canopy supporting and permitting one of the side bars to be reversed on its cross bar connection and into parallel and transversely aligned relation to the other side bar with the cross bar diagonally of the side bars, in which the side bars may be moved into contact beneath the diagonal cross bar for the folded relation,

the width of the cross bar exceeding that of 

